Bishop Sutton offers a blessing over the work of the inaugural Diocese of Maryland reparations grants awardees.

The Reparations Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland is pleased to announce that they have selected six organizations to receive funds through the diocese’s inaugural reparations grant process for a total $175,000. The applicant pool was large and filled with worthy organizations doing the work of restoring Black communities in the geographical area of the Diocese of Maryland. Congratulations to the awardees and we thank them for the good work they are doing.

For more information about our reparations grants process and for updates and notice of the next granting cycle, please visit our reparations grants page.

St. Luke’s Youth Center (SLYC)

The Reparations Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland awards St. Luke’s Youth Center (SLYC) $30,000 to develop the historic St. Luke’s properties into a campus for art, education and renewal that will provide family care services and economic opportunities in the Poppleton and Franklin Square communities of West Baltimore. In addition to services currently provided to the local community, the campus will serve as a SLYC cultural heritage site, making SLYC a destination for tourists, residents, and young people.

SLYC is a collaborative of West Baltimore families working together with friends, neighbors, and partners to provide youth with critical resources, life-enriching experiences, and a safety-net of support. “We are a purposeful community of leaders. Our mission of empowering youth and families through the strength of community has effectively empowered all members of our beloved community. When asked, ‘What words represent SLYC to you?’ the responses from our children, parents, staff, members of partner churches, and neighbors proclaim the dream and the commitments we make to one another every day. They say, ‘Together, we are a loving family, committed, connected, supportive, dedicated, and strong.’”

In 2015, SLYC formed out of the community programming that had been taking place at St. Luke’s Church, Baltimore for decades. Working in collaboration with the local elementary/middle School, SLYC developed an arts and literacy integrated summer camp to meet the needs of children in the area. Read more on SLYC’s website…

 

 

 

The Samaritan Community

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland Reparations Committee awards $25,000 to the Samaritan Community, Inc. “to provide our crisis intervention assistance and empowerment programs – specifically housing assistance, case management, food, and counseling – to our African American clients, who account for roughly 85% of our total client population. While each person’s circumstance is unique, the goal is for our clients to build sustainably stable lives for themselves and, by extension, more stable families and communities.”

“We are a non-profit 501(c)3 organization in Baltimore City, Maryland. We provide assistance to meet the needs of families and individuals who are in crisis and wish to improve their lives. Our program is rooted in respect, hope, and healing.

We are a small organization with a BIG impact. Our Food Pantry, Clothing & Household Goods “Shop”, Individual & Group Counseling, Case Management, Emergency Financial Assistance, and Enrichment Programs enable our members to face both short-term crises and long-term challenges.”

Read more on the Samaritan Community’s website…

Next One Up

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland Reparations Committee awards $30,000 to Next One Up to break down historical barriers African American boys face to academic and economic success by providing long-term mentoring and coaching through the formative years of 12-25. Programming is designed with a long-term goal in mind: to help participants achieve generational change – greater stability and prosperity than their parents had. “We build character, grit, and leadership skills that will allow participants to grow into thriving adults. Over the grant period, we will focus on supporting young people’s academic, social, and emotional development while preparing them to achieve significant milestones in college and career.”

“Since 2009, Next One Up has provided innovative services that go beyond the boundaries of typical programs to foster stability and create lasting change. We provide provide year-round, multi-year services that are unmatched in their breadth and depth.”

We exist to provide young men with access to resources and opportunities — and create those that don’t — so that every young person can have the bright future they deserve. From middle school through early adulthood, Next One Up supports participants wherever…however… whenever… whatever it takes.”

Read more on Next One Up’s website…

 

 

 

Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT)

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland Reparations Committee awards Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT) $30,000 to recruit participants in their new “Turnaround Thursday” program. Out of listening sessions in the community, ACT heard a need for formerly incarcerated individuals and people living in public housing to find good paying jobs with opportunity for career development and increased salary over time. This is one of the most effective ways for people to get out of poverty and create longer term wealth for themselves and their families. “Our experience in Baltimore has taught us that by coupling this with other campaigns around transportation, housing, healthcare, and more, you can start to really shift wealth for Black Americans. ACT has begun to be involved in campaigns to also address these other issues, and is committed to working particularly on affordable housing. Jobs and housing together can make much more dramatic shifts to change the generational wealth gap affecting Black members of our community.”

“We challenge people to imagine the change they can accomplish, connect leaders to multiply their power, and organize people by the thousands to make their voices heard. We set high goals, design innovative strategies, and stick with issues until they are fully addressed. Our time frame is not the market cycle or the news cycle or the election cycle, but the generational cycle of families and institutions.”

Read more on ACT’s website…

I Believe in Me, Inc.

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland Reparations Committee awards $30,000 to I Believe in Me, Inc. to  invest in at risk youth to instill in them a sense of self and the world around them. These funds will be dedicated to the program and the youth they serve, as well as to the pre-construction costs of their new permanent home. “We use our Mentoring Program to provide growth of self-esteem and to build character. We include reading and math programs to help our youth develop. We expose them to financial literacy education to help them set goals for careers. Our youth development includes the whole person and provides hygiene and nutritional guidance, plus a focus on health and wellness including mental health. Our young people are given opportunities to join us in outreach efforts in the community which increases their socialization skills outside their immediate neighborhood and circles of influence.”

“Founded in 2016 by Aje Hill, I Believe in Me is a non-profit organization in Frederick, MD that focuses on the growth and development of youth between the ages of 6-16. Through mentorship, education, and resources we aim to create impactive and contributing members in our community’s future.

I Believe in Me operates an after school program. Within the program, I Believe in Me offers math and reading support, mentor program, financial education, hygiene and nutritional guidance, community outreach via volunteerism, and self-esteem and character development.”

Read more on I Believe in Me’s website…

Calvert Concept Charitable Corporation

The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland Reparations Committee awards $30,000 to the Calvert Concept Charitable Corporation to advance racial reconciliation and address social injustices by facilitating home and business ownership to create family wealth across generations. Its intended beneficiaries are people whose family histories are rooted in enslavement as well as other past and present racial injustices, individuals whose current public service inhibits home ownership, and elderly individuals whose care of others has exhausted their financial resources. The Calvert Concept integrates local business spaces into the same campus that provides interim housing and educational facilities. These businesses will generate recurring income for the program, as well as jobs for participants.

“All Saints’, Sunderland’s celebration of its 300th Anniversary began an examination of our history that deepened meaningfully with the Trail of Souls. This majority-white parish has come to understand that its history began with the exploitation of enslaved people and continued at the cost of neighbors who have been unjustly denied safe financial futures for their families. In 2018 we began a structured process to examine our priorities, agree on common core values, and to commit to a long-term principal mission. That mission has become the Calvert Concept for Reconciliation and Housing. In 2021, All Saints chartered it in Maryland as the Calvert Concept Charitable Corporation.”